Price range: $ $ $ $ $
Last night Jay and I decided to have dinner at Cliff’s Star Grill inside of Stacy’s Furniture. We’d been here before but it was several years ago when meeting up with Ryan and Julie, a couple of friends we hadn’t seen in a while, and interestingly haven’t really seen since (aside from the blur that was Julie’s bachelorette party).
This place is interesting as it is right in the entrance to this giant furniture store. It’s quiet though, dimly lit and actually kind of intimate. We also went at about 8pm when the store was closing so there wasn’t anyone coming or going to cause distraction. That’s not to say our night was not without distraction as we were by far the youngest people there and the couple at the table next to us were talking loudly to their server about following the Kardashians on twitter. Guh. Most of the people there came across as regulars who were on a first-name basis with the staff. Even Rick Stacy himself came through after the store closed and chatted with several customers.
Before I start talking about our meals, I’d like to note that their online menu is either not up to date, or is possibly a shortened version of what you’ll get when you’re actually there. Neither our appetizer nor my entrée are listed on the online menu.
We started off with some spinach artichoke dip ($6.99) that came with a side of salsa and super thick tortilla chips. The chips were almost like pita chips and came out unsalted so they were a little bland. The salsa was of undetermined origin in that we couldn’t tell if was made in house or came prepackaged, but Jay seemed to like it, especially when coupled with some of the spinach artichoke dip. The dip was outstanding. I love a good spinach artichoke dip and it’s hard to find places that don’t cover them with onions. This was simple with a couple of diced tomatoes and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top. It was piping hot and creamy with a smooth flavor.
For my entrée I ordered Jaxon’s Goat Cheese Pasta ($9.99) which consisted of penne pasta tossed with grilled chicken, sundried tomatoes, spinach and a creamy goat cheese sauce. As with any pasta I order, I had them throw some mushrooms in, too. It also came with a piece of toasted bread with butter on it. I am the type of person who will try a lot of new and interesting foods just to say that I’ve tried it. I should have probably been a little more familiar with the flavor of goat cheese before getting a large pasta dish smothered in it. I was not prepared for the decadent texture and overwhelming tanginess. I’m sure a meal like this is wasted on an average person like me.
Jay ordered the Swiss Mushroom Burger ($8.99) which came with sautéed mushroom and melted Swiss on the burger and lettuce, pickle, tomato and onions on the side. He had a choice of home-style fries, onion rings or seasonal fruit for his side and went with the fries. Who eats fruit with a burger? When asked to critique his food for the purpose of my blog, his response was “meh” so I guess it wasn’t anything to write home about.
If we were to rate this restaurant with cats in recliners, we would give it 3 out of 5 for decent atmosphere and prices, but also two unfinished entrees.
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